While watching (and hugely enjoying) "I Love You, Man," the Paul Rudd comedy opening Friday, I wondered: Is there a difference between the "buddy movie" (like "The Odd Couple" or "Easy Rider") and the "bromance," (brotherly romance, i.e. the platonic friendships between men seen in films such as "Superbad," "Pineapple Express" and "ILY,M")?
Is the "buddy movie" a picture where a joint objective ais the text and the friendship subtext and a "bromance" the reverse? And how/where do we categorize the Bob Hope/Bing Crosby, Jerry Lewis/Dean Martin, Walter Matthau/Jack Lemmon , Cheech and Chong comedies?
Are you looking forward to "I Love You, Man"? Are you a Rudd fan? Like most women and an immodest number of men, he's made me laugh since he played Alicia Silverstone's grunge stepbrother in "Clueless." What makes him so funny is that he's an ordinary-looking guy who apparently is possessed by comic pixies, for instance his performance in "Knocked Up" as the married man who simultaneously tries to escape his marriage and make it work.
Rudd's great, and one of his best roles is in a little seen short called HOUSE HUNTING, based on the Michael Chabon short story and co-starring the wonderful Zooey Deschanel. Hunt this one out and check it out!— garyk- It's a great question. I suppose bromance implies there is a stronger connection than buddy. In this movie, the bromance is front and center rather than the romance between Rudd and his fiance. I liked this movie but felt the barfing sight gags were not necessary. And would have liked just a little more background on Jason Segel's Sydney. (Don't men typically spell their name with an "I" - Sidney? But Paul Rudd is terrific and deserves all the good notices he gets!— mariopd
- The difference between the buddy movie and bromance is the timing and duration of the de riguer argument/fight/rift. In a buddy move, it happens much later, as a possible second plot point. In a bromance, it can occur at any moment, and in fact might feel like a constant, where there is much more discord in proportion to total screen time than accord. And of course, in the newer bromance genre, the reconciliation might involve serious tonsil hockey. Of course, the tonsil hockey is often implied...— rbwhitehill
- I love Paul Rudd--can't wait to see this one. In considering buddy movie vs. bromance, where do you place Wedding Crashers? There is clearly a rom-com pattern to the movie--they're together, they split, it's sad, then Vince Vaughn makes a grand gesture and 'wins back' Owen Wilson. Hmmmmm.....— socialgrace
- Socialgrace: I would say that Wedding Crashers was the first film to co-opt the rom-com and make it more male-friendly, which probably makes it the first bromance.— carrierickey
- Carrie-- I hate to be crass but why are light films for women called "Chick Flicks," while film comedies for men are called "bromances." Why not "dick flicks"?— Pash
- Well, Pash, because we can't get that expression in a family newspaper. Somehow, you seem to have bypassed the philly.com censor!— carrierickey
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